Christof Brixel (2034) - Spanton (1952)
French Exchange
1.c4 e6 2.e4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.d4
This position is normally reached by the move-order 1.e4 e6 2.d4 d5 3.exd5 exd5 4.c4.
4...Nc6
The mainline in ChessBase's 2022 Mega database runs 4...Nf6 5.Nc3 Be7 6.Nf3 0-0 with a position Stockfish15 and Komodo13,02 reckon may slightly favour White.
5.Nc3 Bb4 6.Nf3 Nge7
This is the most popular move in Mega22 but the engines prefer the more-active 6...Nf6, when Mikhail Borvinnik - Luděk Pachman, Chigorin Memorial (Moscow) 1947, continued 7.Bg5 Bg4 8.a3 Be7 9.Be3 0-0 10.h3 Bxf3 11.gxf3 Re8, with the engines reckoning Black is slightly better (0-1, 45 moves).
7.cxd5!? Nxd5 8.Bd2 0-0 9.Be2 Bg4 10.0-0 Re8 11.h3 Bh5 12.g4!?
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| How would you assess this pawn thrust, which does not appear in Mega22? |
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White gains space and breaks the semi-pin on the f3 knight but creates weaknesses around the white king. The engines reckon the position before 12.g4!? is equal, but that after it Black has a tiny edge.
12...Bg6 13.a3 Be7
Stockfish15 prefers giving up the bishop-pair with 13...Bxc3, and on 14.bxc3 going immediately after the white kingside with 14...h5, claiming a slight edge for Black. Komodo13.02 agrees with giving up the bishop-pair, but then likes 14...Qf6, again claiming a slight edge for Black.
14.Bc4 Nxc3 15.bxc3 Be4 16.Be3 Na5 17.Bd3!?
This is best, according to the engines, which reckon 17.Ba2 is well-met by 17...c5 with a slight edge for Black. But 17...Bxa3?, while fine if Black replies 18.Bxf7+ Kxf7 19.Rxa3 as 19...Nc4 is strong, runs into 18.Ne5! with a large advantage for White.
17...Qd5 18.Bxe4 Qxe4 19.Nd2 Qd5 20.Qa4 Nc6 21.Rfb1 b6 22.c4 Qd7 23.Nf3 Rad8 24.Qb5?!
The engines reckon best-play is 24.Kg2 f5!? 25.gxf5 Rf8 26.Rb5 with maybe a slight edge for Black, eg 26...Nxd4!? 27.Nxd4 Bf6 28.c5! (28.Rd1 c5) Bxd4 29.Qc4+ Qf7 30.Qxf7+ Kxf7!? 31.Bxd4 Rxd4.
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| How should Black proceed? |
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24...Nb8?
Passive. Better is 24...Bf6, when 25.Rd1 a6! is strong, eg 26.Qxa6?! h5 or 26.Qf5 Qxf5 27.gxf5 Ne7 28.Bf4 Rc8!? and ...Nxf5.
25.a4 a5 26.c5!? bxc5 27.Qxd7 Nxd7 28.dxc5 Bxc5 29.Bxc5 Nxc5 30.Rb5 Nd3 31.Rxa5 Ra8 32.Rxa8 Rxa8
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| How would you assess this ending? |
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Material is level but White has a farside passed pawn, which is enough for a slight edge, according to Komodo13.02 at first, although given enough time it moves towards Stockfish15's verdict of completely equal.
33.a5 Kf8 34.Ng5 Ke7!? 35.Kg2
If 35.Nxh7!? then 35...f6 is equal, according to the engines, eg 36.Ra3 Nc5 37.g5 Ne6 38.gxf6+ gxf6 39.Kg2 Kf7 40.Rf3 Rxa5 41.Rxf6+, although this would be hairy to play, for both sides.
35...h6 36.Ne4 c5 37.Ra3 c4 38.Kf3 Ke6 39.Ke3 Kd5 40.a6 Ra7?!
Probably better is 40...Nb4, eg 41.Ra5+ Kc6 42.a7 Kc7 with ...Nc6 to come.
41.Ra5+?!
Probably slightly better is 41.Ra4, preventing, or at least delaying, Black going after the a pawn.
41...Kc6 42.Kd4 Kb6 43.Ra3 Rxa6 44.Rxa6+ Kxa6 45.Kxc4
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| Black to play and draw |
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45...Ne5+?
The engines give 45...Nf4 46.h4 Ng6.
46.Kd5 Nf3?
Black is definitely lost after this, whereas 46...Ng6 gives some hope. One line runs 47.Kd4 Kb6 48.Nd6 Kc6 49.Nxf7 Nh4, which would be hard for Black to defend in practice but is probably drawish in theory (the engines give White's best continuation as either 50.Ne5+ or 50.f4, both moves being +0.43, according to Stockfish15; +1.25, according to Komodo13.02).
47.Nd6 Ng5 48.h4 Nf3 49.Nf5 Nh2 50.Nxg7 Nxg4 51.f3 Ne3+ 52.Ke5
White's advantage is overwhelming.
The game finished:
52...Ng2 53.h5 Nh4 54.f4 Ng2 55.Nf5 f6+ 56.Ke4 Kb6 57.Nxh6 Nh4 58.Nf5 1-0
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